Cup of Joe

by Teri Wilson

  “Everything is going great so far.” Goldie glanced at the clock that hung on the wall above a beautiful painting of Turtle Beach from the 1950’s. It was remarkable how similar the town still looked today, which is one of the things Goldie loved so much about living here. Even the library interior hadn’t changed at all since Goldie was a child. Except now, everything seemed so much smaller. Especially now that Joe was here. The way he towered over her, with his broad shoulders and muscular chest, made the smooth maple desks and chairs near the library counter shrink before her very eyes. “I’ll read to the children in less than two hours.”

  “Don’t worry. They’ll love you. Just like I told you at class the other day.” His gaze flitted to her hands, still wrapped around her macchiato. Goldie wondered if he would have given them a comforting squeeze if they’d been free. She liked to think so.

  “Speaking of training class, Bliss and I have been practicing.”

  Joe’s eyebrows rose, and a look of delight came over his features. “You have?”

  “Yes.” Goldie nodded and tipped her head toward the pet carrier resting behind the counter near her feet. “We had an unfortunate incident at church yesterday, and then we went home and got to work.”

  At the mention of the word church, a strange, wistful look came over Joe’s face. It vanished as quickly as it came, leaving Goldie wondering if she’d merely imagined it.

  “You took Bliss to church?”

  A burning sensation crawled up Goldie’s neck and settled in her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to let that part slip. “Um, well, kind of. Yes.”

  But Joe didn’t seem horrified. At least not in any way resembling Eve’s disturbed reaction. “I was just asking because sometimes I bring Java to church myself.”

  “Really?” Goldie’s heart quickened its pace. Joe didn’t think she was crazy for sneaking Bliss into church at all. He even took his own dog to church, too. She could scarcely believe it. “But how? He’s too big to fit in a handbag.”

  Joe knit his brows in obvious confusion, but the corner of his lips lifted into a bemused grin. “That’s true. He won’t fit in a handbag. Or even a suitcase for that matter. But he can still go to church.”

  “I don’t get it. He just walks right into the sanctuary?”

  Joe nodded and let out a little laugh. “I guess you could put it that way. I go to Turtle Beach Christian Church’s early morning service on the beach. We worship right there in the sand. It does seem like a sanctuary, perhaps the most beautiful one of all because it was created by God.”

  “Wow. That sounds incredible.” Now that he mentioned it, she remembered hearing about the beach service a while back. It was always advertised pretty heavily during tourist season, but she hadn’t even realized it continued during the winter months. “And people bring their dogs?”

  “Sure.” He shrugged. “It’s very laid back. Everyone is welcome. Even those with four legs and a tail.”

  Everyone is welcome. Goldie wondered fleetingly if that meant she was guaranteed not to get kicked out. Given her recent track record, it gave Joe’s church great appeal. “I might have to give that a try sometime.”

  “You should. I’d like that very much.” His smile broadened and Goldie thought she just might melt on the spot. “And bring Bliss.”

  At the sound of her name, Bliss let out a little woof from her pet carrier. Goldie jumped with a start, and then giggled. She looked over her shoulder at Mrs. Simpson and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

  Mrs. Simpson just waved her hand in the air. “Don’t worry about a thing, Goldie. Like I said earlier, we’re really slow. And you’re right where you need to be anyway. Right there behind the counter.”

  Goldie couldn’t be sure, but then it seemed as if Mrs. Simpson’s eyes sparkled behind her bifocals as her gaze moved back and forth between Goldie and Joe. The knowing look on the woman’s face left Goldie feeling a little breathless.

  “I should go. You need to get to work.” Joe leaned closer. “But before I leave, you’ve got to tell me what you meant when you said you and Bliss had an unfortunate encounter at church. Please don’t leave me in suspense.”

  “Oh. That.” Goldie cleared her throat and did her best to sound clever, even a bit flirty. “Let’s just say it involved Bliss being smuggled inside, and a run-in with a crinkly bag.”

  “No!” He drew the word out in his charming Southern drawl. “The crinkly bag strikes again.”

  “That’s right. It was really bad. Trust me; you don’t want to know the details.”

  And at that moment, Goldie’s very own crinkly bag walked through the door of the Turtle Beach Public Library. She watched, a sick feeling gathering deep in the pit of her stomach, as Josh flashed her a lazy smile and headed toward the counter.

  Oh no. No, no, no.

  Goldie tried to gather herself together. There still seemed to be so many things she wanted to say to Joe before he left. Things she wanted to say to him in private, certainly not with Josh, her fake love interest, hovering nearby. But faced with the surreal vision of the two men standing nearly side-by-side she couldn’t find the words.

  “Thank you, Joe.” She gazed down at her cup, still warm in her hands. “For the coffee.”

  This was a painful understatement. She’d meant to thank him for so much more.

  “You’re welcome.” Joe’s gaze flitted to Josh, approaching the counter in a much brisker fashion than Goldie would have expected, given his laid back surfer boy image.

  Surely, he would see she was busy with Joe. He wouldn’t just barge right in on their conversation, would he? Joe could be a library patron for all Josh knew. If he had any manners at all, he would linger in the background while she struggled to give Joe a proper goodbye.

  But, apparently, Josh didn’t have any manners. He strode right up next to Joe and leaned against the counter on his elbows. Goldie resisted the strong urge to ask him if he was raised in a barn. This was the South, after all. He should know better than to interrupt.

  Oblivious to the mental scolding she was giving him, Josh nodded his head toward Joe and then focused solely on Goldie. “Hey, Goldie.”

  Goldie’s heart twisted in a knot when she saw a flicker of worry pass through Joe’s warm, brown eyes. It felt as though someone were physically wringing it out, like a dishrag. She placed a hand on her chest in a gesture of protection. Or, perhaps, self-preservation.

  Then, to her astonishment, at the sound of Josh’s voice, a low, rumbling growl came from the pet carrier at her feet.

  Josh’s eyebrows rose, and he peered over the counter. “Don’t tell me that’s your crazy dog. You bring it to work with you, too?”

  “Um…” Goldie stammered, a bit perturbed that he would call her dog crazy. Granted, she had misbehaved in Sunday school. But still. Crazy? Wasn’t that a bit harsh?

  “Excuse me,” Joe chimed in. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Joe.”

  There was a certain edge to Joe’s voice that she’d never heard before. When she turned to look at him, she noticed his square jaw was clenched. His usual calm demeanor was gone. He looked…ruffled. Discontent.

  “Hey man, I’m Josh.” He slapped Joe on the back. “Have you seen her dog? It’s a wild thing.”

  “She,” Joe said, the edge in his voice becoming even more pronounced. “The dog is a she, not an it.”

  Goldie was quickly becoming fascinated by this strange, new side of Joe. But she couldn’t just stand there with her mouth gaping open. She cleared her throat and intervened. “Actually Josh, her name is Bliss. And she was a gift to me from Joe.”

  “Oh, is that right?” Josh’s grin turned a bit sheepish. “Uh, sorry about the crazy comment. It’s just, well, you should have seen her at church on Sunday.”

  Goldie slid her gaze toward Joe. “Remember? The crinkly bag incident I told you about?”

  Thankfully, his jaw relaxed slightly, and his eyes sparkled with humor. “That’s right. The dreaded crinkly bag.”

&nbs
p; Josh looked back and forth between the two of them, his own jaw beginning to clench.

  “Well, I really should start preparing for children’s hour. Thank you so much for stopping by.” Goldie plastered a smile on her face and silently prayed that Josh would take the hint and leave, too. All crazy comments aside, he seemed nice enough, but still not what she wanted. Still not Joe. So, she added for good measure, “Both of you.”

  “OK,” Joe focused solely on her for a long moment, and she wondered if he was trying to pretend that Josh didn’t even exist. If so, he was doing a startlingly good job. “You’re going to have a wonderful first day, Goldie. Bliss, too. I promise.”

  Goldie sighed. It would have been the perfect moment if only they were alone. “Thank you. And thanks again for the coffee.”

  Joe winked. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll stop by tomorrow for another delivery.”

  And as he turned to leave, Josh stopped him and asked, “Hey, you’re that Joe? The one from the coffee shop? I didn’t know you guys deliver.”

  “We don’t,” Joe answered in a monotone voice. Then he walked away, leaving Josh alone with Goldie, a bewildered expression on his sunburned face.

  “Huh,” he muttered. Then louder, he said, “Well, it doesn’t really matter anyway. I’m not even sure why I asked him about it. I don’t even like coffee.”

  Goldie tore her gaze away from where Joe had disappeared through the double doors of the library only moments earlier. She crossed her arms in front of her and shook her head from side to side. “Don’t be silly. Everyone likes coffee.”

  Cup of Joe

  Inspirational romance, Christian romance, Christian fiction, romance novel, christian romance novel, teri wilson, white rose publishing

  Cup of Joe

  Chapter Nine

  Joe’s hands shook as he walked back to the coffee shop. By the time he’d traveled the three blocks from the library to his front door, he had to jam them in his pockets to hide the trembling.

  “Hey, boss,” Cinnamon chirped when he walked across the threshold. “How was the…”

  “I’m going for a walk.” He cut her off mid-sentence as he headed for Java’s leash hanging on a hook in his office.

  His voice had more of an edge to it than he’d intended, which was exactly why he needed to get out of here. He struggled to remind himself that none of this was Cinnamon’s fault. As far as he knew, she certainly hadn’t pushed that horrid Josh fellow through the double doors of the Turtle Beach Public Library.

  Still, if she had just come to church yesterday he could have already asked Goldie out on a date. Perhaps they would even have plans for this evening. Goldie would at least have an inkling about how he felt about her. As it was, he had no idea if she saw him as just a friend or something more.

  And who in the world was this Josh guy? Where did he fit into all this?

  “OK.” Cinnamon’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Do you, um, want anything to take with you?”

  She sounded uncharacteristically hesitant, and Joe knew he needed to calm down. “Yes. Coffee. Black.”

  To match my mood.

  Then, in an effort to be tolerable, he added, “Please.”

  Java danced around at Joe’s feet, toenails clicking on the tile floor. Joe stroked the Husky between the ears and peered into his mismatched blue and brown eyes. He saw his own reflection staring back at him, tiny and distorted. It was exactly the way he felt right now.

  “Here you go.” Cinnamon pushed his coffee toward him from the other side of the counter. “Um, is everything OK?”

  He clenched his jaw and shot her a look meant to say Please don’t ask me any questions right now, but the way Cinnamon flinched, made him think perhaps his look had said something more.

  Before he could further intimidate her and guarantee that she never darkened the door of any church, much less his own, he grabbed his black coffee and headed outside.

  Java tucked himself right next to Joe, as close to him as possible. With every step, Joe felt the dog’s warmth brush against the side of his leg. He looked down at Java and the way his furry dog eyebrows knit together, causing the silver fur to gather in furrows on his forehead.

  “I’m sorry, boy.” Joe scratched Java between his ears and over his muzzle, as if he were trying to rub the worry lines off his face. “I’m just in a mood. That’s all.”

  Java woofed softly, and Joe gave a half-hearted smile. He sipped his coffee and winced. He never drank it black, but it seemed appropriate now.

  And through it all—the reassuring pats he gave Java and the bitter sips of coffee—Joe walked.

  And walked.

  He didn’t have any particular destination in mind, but his footsteps carried him to the place he always went.

  Gulls cried overhead and Java slowed as his paws sank in the pale, soft sand. Joe kept on walking, all the way to where the water met the shore. The ocean roared in his ears, and he stood there with the sea spray hitting him full in the face until he could hear nothing else around him.

  He wanted to scream. Scream until his voice became lost in the cry of the tide. But he didn’t. Instead he sank to his knees.

  Right there in the sand, he dropped before God in the place where he’d always felt closest to Him. Waves lapped at his knees, soaking his jeans. The cold water should have been a shock to his system, but he barely noticed it. All he could think about was Goldie.

  Yesterday he’d been so confident that God was really bringing them together. All it had taken was that brief encounter at the library to shake his confidence. It wasn’t right, and he knew it. Either he trusted God or he didn’t.

  He bowed his head.

  God I want to trust you.

  What was holding him back?

  He stayed there, on his knees in submission to his Lord, and did his best to listen. A stirring in his heart made him believe if he listened closely enough, perhaps he could hear God’s voice in the crash of the ocean waves.

  Lord, help me trust you more.

  God knew how long Joe had loved Goldie. He knew every moment of Joe’s silent longing. He’d heard every prayer Joe had uttered for Goldie. Each plea on her behalf. For her happiness, for the healing of her grief. And now, when he finally felt as though he were a real part of her life, Joe was gripped with panic. Why?

  Slowly, realization dawned on him and left a chill in his bones that had nothing to do with the frigid sea water. He trusted God to heal Goldie and to make her happy. But deep down, part of him was afraid God’s plans for her future didn’t include him in the way he so desired.

  Yes. God was making his relationship with Goldie a beautiful thing. But, what if all the Lord had planned for Goldie and Joe was a beautiful friendship? It was a thought that hadn’t really occurred to him until he’d seen the way Josh looked at Goldie.

  If he really, truly loved Goldie, what he needed to want for her was God’s best—His plan for her future. Whether it was as his wife… or only his friend.

  His next prayer, he spoke aloud. “Lord, help me. Help me love her in the way you desire, whatever that may be.”

  As soon as the words left his lips, his anger lifted away. He felt drained, empty even, but strangely at peace.

  Java nudged him with a wet nose, as if he understood whatever divine conversation Joe had been having was over.

  “You ready to head back?”

  Java leapt up from the indention he’d made in the sand and spun in a circle.

  “OK, let’s go.”

  Joe lifted himself up from his knees and looked at his watch.

  One o’clock.

  He smiled to himself. Right now, just three blocks away, Goldie was surrounded by a circle of children. When he closed his eyes, he could see her sitting cross-legged on the floor of the library holding the picture book open for all the kids to see, Bliss snuggled in her lap. He could hear her singsong voice reading the words aloud. Best of all, he could imagine the faces of all the children, enraptured with her sto
ry.

  She would be great. He knew it in his heart. After watching her care for her grandfather for so long, he knew she had that special nurturing touch children would adore. He couldn’t think of a job that would suit her better. And he just knew working with children would fill her soul with joy.

  Just what he’d been praying for.

  The thought brought the familiar ache of unrequited love to his chest. But this time it was different. It was still there—the yearning so palpable he felt at times he could reach out and touch it—but now it held a certain tenderness that had been missing before. He carried it within him like a precious seashell, a treasure from his time spent on the beach.